I just got back from serving at the District Convention of the Florida Georgia District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. My role at this was not only as pastoral delegate (voter) but also as Secretary of the District, an elected position which I was elected to again. Along with our lay (non-church worker) delegate,…

With the recent passing of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, each of whom died at their own hand, it made me think about suicide. I have lost two friends to suicide, but now is not the time to tell their stories. Instead, I’m going to tell you the story of Rodney, because unlike the stories…

I spent several years of my undergraduate career tending bar at a place named “The Well Bar”. If I ever had a job that prepared me for pastoral ministry, it was this job. In fact, in a lot of ways, it was easier. I had a pulpit from which I stood behind, but it was…

A Roman Catholic priest, a Baptist minister, and a Jewish rabbi go into the woods for a walk. Upon their walk, they find a bear. The Baptist minister says, “watch this,” and he goes down to the riverbank and begins to preach to the bear to the point where he ends up baptizing the bear.…